Thews



(No Model.)

- 0. B. MATTHEW-S.-

HARNESS.

Patented Jne 6, 188.2.

JB. 'Wit/wm? zy ag.

UNITED STATES w PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. MATTHEws, oF'NEwARK, NEW JnRsY.v

HARNEss.

SIPECIFIGATION formng' part of Letters Patent No. 259,184, dated June 6, 1882.

' ApplicationfiledAprn11,1882. (No model.)

' To all whom it may cm wem:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. MAT-- THEWS, a citizen of -the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention rela'tes more especially to that classof harness known asexpress-harnessj7 wherein great strength and power of resistance are required to meet the strain of the heavy loads of w goods carried by the teams.

Heretofore backingstraps used in harness have been composed of leather buckled to and in' the harness. Said leather is not sufticiently strong to sustain the wear and tear for any considerable time, so that often it costs as much to keep the said hacking-Strap in repair as the whole of the remaining portions of the harness. By my invention the backingstrap is given adequate strength, so th at it will endure for a long time the great tension given to it in the process of backingthe said heavy'loads.

Referrin g to the accompanyin g drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the fignres, Figure 1 is a plan representation of a team of horses, showing the location of the backing-straps and their relation to the other portions of the harness; and Fig. 2 is a plan showing more in detail my mode. of construction.

. In the drawings, a represents the portion of the strap adapted to engage with the polechain h, and b b' those portions thereof adapted to engage with the breeching t'and receive the draft from the samein the process of backin g. In constructing the said portions a b b', I form the core d of wire rope or metallic' chains,

\ the ends of which form loops adapted to receive means for securing said portions to the harness and to one another. Said loops may receive loop-rings c, by which the wear is taken from the wire rope, The portion a, which engages with-the pole-chain h or pole, is longer than the parts b b', and passes behind the inner fore leg of the horse. The parts b b' are slightl y unequal in length, so that the strain thereon will be equalized. At the junction where said portions a b b' meet I secure a helly-pad, f, adapted to lie between the portions a b b' and the horsels belly and prevent the action of the joints from injuring the animal. The Wire rope or linkedchain or other metallic core is covered by leather or other suitable coverin g, which protects the horses therefrom.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1.'A metallic hacking-Strap consisting of parts a b b', adapted to be sccured to the harness and to the pole-Strap, and to receive a portion of the strain from the horses in the process of hacking a vehicle, substantially as set forth.

2. In harness, the combination, with the polechain or pole and the brecching of the me- -tallic hacking-Strap a. b b', arranged and operatin gsubstantially. as set forth.

3. As an improved article of manufaeture, a backing-strap consisting of the parts a b b', composed of the metallic core d, having a suitable covering, joined together at one end, and

having means, as g, for. securing the same to GHAS. B. .MATTHEWS Witnesses OLIVER DRAKE, CHAs. T. WINTERs. 

